The Top Boys To Watch At The AAU National Championships

AAU National Championships
Bryan Deibel


* The MileSplit national team breaks down some of the top high school-age athletes to watch at this weekend's AAU Junior Olympic Games. 

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The AAU National Cross Country Championships will take place this weekend at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida. The event will feature athletes from ages six and under all the way up to 18-year-olds.

We will have coverage of the event on MileSplit.

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AAU National Cross Country Championships 2020 Meet Page

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Schedule of Events: 

8:30am - National Anthem 8:40am - 17-18 Girl 5K (wave 1)
9:00am - 17-18 Girl 5K (wave 2) 
9:30am - 17-18 Boy 5K (wave 1)
9:50am - 17-18 Boy 5K (wave 2)
10:20am - 13-14 Girl 4K
10:50am - 13-14 Boy 4K
11:20am - 11-12 Girl 3K
11:50am - 11-12 Boy 3K
12:20pm - 9-10 Girl 3K
12:50pm - 9-10 Boy 3K
1:20pm - 7-8 Girl 2K
1:40pm - 7-8 Boy 2K
2:00pm - 6 & Under Girl and Boy (combined) 1K
2:15pm - Parent/Coach Run 3K
2:30pm - Open/Masters Run 5K


    Boys 6 and Under (Link to Entries)

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    The 6-and-under boys will compete in a 1,000m run. This race should be a fun one to watch as young athletes get their first chance to run in a national cross country meet. 


    Top Title Contender:

    • Kyle Bickler (CA) - Finished 11th in last year's 6-and-under 1,000m championship in 4:50.91. 


    Boys 7-8- Year-Olds

    Boys 9-10-Year-Olds

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    These two divisions will feature middle school stars competing at 3,000m.


    Top Title Contenders:

    • Sebastian Crosby (NC) - This past summer at the AAU Junior Olympics Games, Crosby was fourth in the 8-and-under 1,500m. He ran 6:08.83. He also finished 11th in the 800m in 3:08.19.
    • Rixford Brown (TX) -  Brown was just behind Crosby in the 1,500m, posting a time of 6:18.10. 


      Boys 11-12-Year-Olds

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      Sticking with the 3,000m distance, this division will feature some top middle school athletes.  

      Samuel Baker after his win in the 800m at the AAU Junior Olympic Games. 

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      Top Title Contenders:

      • Kieran Tyrrell (TX) - Tyrrell has had quite a few medal earning performances including several at the AAU Junior Olympics Games this past summer. He competed in the 11-year-old boys 800m and placed fourth with a 2:24.62. He also picked up two gold medals and one in the 3,000m, clocking a 10:24.02; the other in the 1,500m, clocking a 4:43.95. He has competed in three middle school cross country meets this fall, notching a personal best time of 11:31.20 for 3,200m on the grass.
      • Samuel Baker (OH) - Samuel Baker has competed in a range of mid-distance and distance events from the 400m to the 3,000m. He was runner-up to Tyrrell in both the 1,500m and 3,000m at the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics Games, posting times of 4:44.53 and 10:52.57, respectively. His 400m speed came through to earn him a gold medal in the 800m with a time of 2:21.41. Baker should be in the mix here and could take a win if it comes to a kick as he has a 1:03.86 400m PR.  
      • Nicholas Healey (FL) - The fifth-grader was the bronze medalist at the 2020 FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championship. He ran a PR of 7:43.00 to win that meet and holds a 3000m PR of 12:35.20.
      • Hunter Hurl (OR) - Hurl won the AAU West Regional running 11:16.


      Other Names To Watch: 


      Boys 13-14-Year-Old

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      The 13-14-year-old boys will be competing in a 4K.  


      Top Title Contenders:

        • Taye Newman (CA) - The eighth-grader out of California won the 13-year-old boys 1,500m at the AAU Junior Olympic Games this past summer, clocking a 4:36.82. He also finished fifth in the boys 3,000m at the same meet, running a PR of 10:54.21. Over the 2020 cross country season, Newman competed at the AAU Western Regional, placing ninth over the 4K course in 14:23.00. 
        • Jason Parra (CA) - Parra won the 2020 AAU Western Regional 4K in 13:15. He was also the gold medalist in the 1,500m and 3,000m at this summer's West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games. The California native ran 4:28.66 and 9:56.52, respectively. 
        • Aaron Keller (NY) - Keller was the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics Games 3,000m champion for 13-year-old boys. He won with a time of 10:00.31. He was also the third-place finisher in the 13-year-old 1,500m division with a time of 4:45.10
        • John Keester IV (FL) - Keester raced for his high school team this fall and clocked a personal best for 5K of 16:53.00 at the New World Fall Spectacular. Over the summer, he was third in the 1,500m ( 4:34.86) and fifth in the 3,000m (10:25.94) at the AAU Junior Olympics Games. He holds a PR of 9:58.83 for 3,000m and 5:00.50 for 1,500m. 
        • Quinlan Andrews (MN) - Andrews was the runner up in both the 13-year-old boys 1,500m (4:38.38) and 3,000m (10:09.61) this past summer at the AAU Junior Olympic Games behind Newman. 


        Other Names To Watch:


        Boys 15-18-Year-Old

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        The boy's 15-18-year-old division will be a full 5K and will feature two of the top athletes in the southeast as well as several names familiar to AAU competitors.  

        * Rheinhardt Harrison winning the FHSAA Class 4A Cross Country State champions on the Apalachee Regional Park course. 

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        Top Title Contenders:

        • Rheinhardt Harrison (Ponte Vedra, FL) -- Harrison is the biggest name competing this weekend at the AAU National XC Championships. The junior clocked four sub-4:10 miles this past summer, including a 4:01.34 at the Music City Distance Carnival. The rising star also holds an 800m PR of 1:57.04 and a 400m PR of 51.04. Harrison can not only throw down on the track, but he's also coming off a Florida state cross country championship. He's a two-time FHSAA Class 4A Cross Country State champion and holds a 5K XC PR of 14:55.00. He also holds an advantage over some of his fellow competitors as he has raced the Apalachee Park course several times throughout his career.
        • Woodrow Dean (Tallassee, AL) - The Alabama junior has had some impressive races to this point in the season. His biggest win was at the AHSAA Class 5A state championships, where he beat the second-place finisher by almost a minute. Counting state, he had six wins on the season. He will be looking for a bounce-back race after placing 50th at the  RunningLane National Cross Country Championships a few weeks ago.  
        • Francisco Ramirez (Pace, FL) - Ramirez placed third at last year's AAU National XC Championships and will be the top returner from last year's event. A Florida native, Ramirez should know the course well, having competed on it at the state meet in both 2019 and 2020. He finished 14th recently at the FHSAA Class 3A Cross Country State Champions. 
        • Miguel Pantojas (Oviedo, FL)  - Just a sophomore, Pantojas will be one of the younger athletes in this field. This summer at the AAU Junior Olympics Games in Satellite Beach, Florida, he ran a 9:43.22 to place fourth in the 15-16-year-old boys 3,000m and was second in the 1,500m with a time of 4:12.56. His fastest 5K ON grass this season came from the FSU Pre State Invitational, where he clocked a time of 16:47.90. 
        • Noah Espeleta (CA) - This summer Espeleta was in Florida for the AAU Junior Olympic Games and placed third in both the 1,500m and 3,000m, posting times of 4:15.084 and 9:35.45, respectively. Hailing from California, the junior has not had an opportunity to compete in a cross country meet during the 2021 season.


        Other Names To Watch: